Social Determinants of Health

Running head: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 1
Social Determinants of Health
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SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 2
Introduction
Poverty among the families living below the poverty line in Australia has a significant
effect on their health. This is because lack of enough income makes it difficult for them to access
quality and nutritious foods and hence predisposing them to conditions such as obesity and
malnutrition. Secondly, the lack of enough income makes it hard for them to access quality
healthcare services. This is because they lack enough income to pay for healthcare services. They
also lack enough income to pay for transportation services to the healthcare facilities. As a result,
there is increased morbidity and mortality issues among these people. Thirdly poverty forces
these families to live in poor houses which predisposes them to severe health effects such as
respiratory illnesses. Lastly, poverty leads to a rise in the prevalence of mental health disorders
due to stress associated with poverty. As a result, the families living below the poverty line
engage in massive drug and substance abuse.
Definition of Social Determinants of Health
The social determinants of health refers to the circumstances in which individuals are
born and live that influence their health. These conditions are determined by the availability and
distribution of income, resources, and power at the global, national and local levels. Social
determinants of health are the leading causes of health disparities among populations. They are
also the main cause of diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity, depression and heart
diseases (About social determinants of health, 2017). They include socioeconomic, political and
cultural factors as well as accessibility of healthcare services, the presence of safe environmental
conditions, availability of quality and healthy foods as well as the presence of well-designed

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 3
neighborhoods (Determinants of Health, n.d.). The social determinant of health I have chosen is
Poverty, and the target population is the families living below the poverty line in Australia.
Impact of poverty among families living below the poverty line in Australia
Poverty refers to the condition where families and individuals lack basic needs.
According to the World Bank, poverty is simply lack of shelter, lack of adequate food and lack
of access to medical care and education (Poverty Overview, n.d.). In Australia, an estimated 3.05
million people that is 13.2% live below the poverty line including 739,000 children which
represent 17.3% of the population (Commonwealth Parliament, & Parliament House, 2013).
Poverty has a huge negative effect on the families living below the poverty line in
Australia (Hutchens, 2018). Poverty in Australia has led to a lack of access to quality and
nutritious foods among the families living below the poverty line. The families often lack enough
income to purchase fresh vegetables and fruits as well as other healthy foods that constitute a
healthy diet. Because of lack enough income, they also tend to be concerned about hunger as
opposed to healthy eating and hence they end up choosing foods that are filling while avoiding
those that are high in nutrients. As a result, they suffer from malnutrition and obesity cases
(Health and Nutrition in Australia, 2016).
Poor nutrition as a result of poverty has also negatively impacted on the girls who survive
and attain the reproductive ages. For instance, it has increased their risk of giving birth to bebies
with low birth weight who also have lesser chances of survival as compared to the normal birth
weight babies. Poor nutrition has also made the children from these families to have a low height
for age. Poor nutrition has also led to an increase in the number of children with stunted growth.
Due to poor nutrition, children under the age of five years from these families are more prevalent

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 4
to many diseases and hence increasing their risk of dying from infectious diseases such as
pneumonia and diarrhea. Poverty has also resulted in inadequate intake of healthy foods among
the children and hence leading to malnutrition. Malnutrition has also resulted in high mortality
rates among these children. This is attributed to the fact that poor nutrition makes children more
susceptible to infections (Health and Nutrition in Australia, 2016). When the immunity of a
malnourished child is impaired, the course of infection becomes more severe which leads to an
increase in the mortality. Poverty has also made childcare difficult as the parents are unable to
meet the needs of their children (Poverty- World Vision Australia, n.d.).
The families living below the poverty line in Australia also have a high prevalence of
obesity due to poor nutrition and poor health habits. According to the World Health
Organization, obesity is the accumulation of excessive amounts of fats in the body to the extent
of causing adverse health effects. It usually occurs a result of energy imbalance where the energy
intake through drinking and eating is higher than the energy utilized through physical activity. In
Australia, 61% of the women living below the poverty line are overweight or obese which
translates to 3 in 5 women. For men, the prevalence of obesity among the families living below
the poverty line is about 69% to 73%. The high prevalence of obesity among this population
group is attributed to poor nutrition. The families often lack enough income to purchase
nutritious and healthy foods and hence they consume foods that are unhealthy which then
increase their risk of obesity. They also lack enough space and facilities to engage in physical
activities which are attributed to overcrowding (Poverty, Health and Nutrition, n.d.).
The families living below the poverty line in Australia also lack adequate access to
healthcare services. This is because they lack enough income to afford healthcare services. This
is also attributed to the high and growing cost in healthcare in Australia. The population group